


Surprise

by chaos_monkey



Series: WinterJones fics [2]
Category: Midsomer Murders - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Coming Out, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27829624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaos_monkey/pseuds/chaos_monkey
Summary: There's a surprise waiting for Jamie at the Barnabys' Christmas party.(written for the prompt:Mistletoe)
Relationships: Ben Jones/Jamie Winter
Series: WinterJones fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036815
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	Surprise

Jamie Winter walked into the brightly bustling warmth of the Barnabys’ Christmas party, leaving the dark, cold evening behind him. 

“Ah. Winter,” Barnaby said with his usual mild, off-duty awkwardness as he took Jamie’s jacket. “Good of you to come.” 

“Thank you, sir. I’m, uh. Sorry I’m late.” 

“Jamie!” Sarah exclaimed, appearing out of nowhere and pulling him into a hug. “It’s so good to see you, come in, come in.” 

After pushing the bottle of wine he’d brought into Sarah’s hands, Jamie edged his way through to the Barnabys’ living room, sharing smiles and nods with the other holiday party guests. Almost everyone else there had a plate already, though from what he could see, the big dining table still looked as though it should be creaking audibly under the weight of enough food to feed everyone there three more times over. 

Obeying the growling commands of his stomach, Jamie headed for the spread of dishes, wending his way around the pairs and small groups of chatting people. He was nearly there, when— 

“Evening, DS Winter,” came a warm, playful, Welsh-accented voice from somewhere in the vicinity of Jamie’s right ear. 

Jamie’s stomach flip-flopped and his heart skipped a beat in his chest. 

He turned, and DI Ben Jones was standing there with a glass of red wine in one hand, wearing jeans, a collared shirt, and a familiar crooked grin. He looked  _ unfairly  _ good, with the top couple buttons of his shirt undone and his usual mop of messy dark brown hair falling over his forehead. 

“ _ Ben? _ I mean, uh— DI Jones,” Jamie stammered, a fierce blush rising in his cheeks that he couldn’t control any more than the probably  _ completely  _ dopey-looking grin he could feel spreading over his face. They’d stayed in touch after Ben had gone back to Brighton again, after the whole cricket debacle and more than one extremely pleasant night spent at Jamie’s flat together, but they hadn’t actually seen each other since. Or, well… not in person. Ben grinned knowingly as Jamie blushed even harder, desperately trying not to think about a certain small collection of photos on his computer at home. “What are you— I had no idea you were going to be here tonight.” 

“Surprise,” Ben said, eyes dancing. “Want something to drink?” 

“God, please,” Jamie answered fervently. Ben nodded and slipped away into the kitchen itself while Jamie grabbed himself a plate and loaded it up with food, still completely unable to wipe the smile off his face even if he’d wanted to. 

The party went the way good parties go, with lots to eat and more to drink. To Jamie’s abashed delight, Ben seemed happy to stick with him most of the evening. They mingled some, Jamie introducing Barnaby’s ex-DS to a few new faces he hadn’t met while he was there during the summer, but they spent most of their time off to one side together, chatting about work and life and… just, well, everything. 

“It really is good to see you again,” Ben was saying, while pouring them each another glass of wine. Jamie thought it was the fourth they’d had together… or maybe the fifth. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get back out here sooner. I really did mean to,” he added apologetically, handing Jamie his glass again. 

He didn’t let go immediately, and Jamie swallowed hard as their fingers brushed. Ben was gazing at him intently, those hazel eyes trapping his gaze and making his heart rate pick up. 

“I know,” Jamie managed, knowing the hot flush he could feel colouring his cheeks and the tips of his ears couldn’t be blamed solely on the alcohol. “I’m really glad you made it tonight, though.” 

“Me, too,” Ben murmured. Jamie licked his lips, eyes darting briefly down to Ben’s mouth, curved in a small, crooked smile, just as the DI raised his chin in a subtle nod upwards. “Look.” 

Jamie looked up, confused— and briefly stopped breathing when he saw it. 

Mistletoe. 

They were standing under a sprig of mistletoe. 

He met Ben’s eyes again, reading the question, the  _ invitation  _ in the half-smile still on the older man’s lips and the way his head was tilted slightly to one side. Jamie knew he could say no without even saying it. He could step back, sip his wine to break the moment, and he knew Ben would understand completely. 

But… that wasn’t what he wanted, he realized. What he wanted was right there in front of him. 

Still scarcely able to breathe, Jamie nodded, wide-eyed, his head swimming with nervous excitement and his heart hammering wildly in his chest. Ben leaned in and closed the last of that tiny gap still between them, and Jamie made a soft sound that was  _ not  _ at all a whimper when Ben’s lips pressed lightly against his. 

Jamie only hesitated a split second before kissing him back, harder, tasting the bite of wine on Ben’s tongue as it met his own. Everything else faded away, Jamie’s awareness narrowing to nothing but the soft, wet heat of Ben’s mouth, the smooth feel of the wine glass still in his hand, the rough scrape of stubble over his skin and the gentle, warm pressure of Ben’s hand at his waist. 

He was breathing hard when they pulled apart again, the sounds of the party around them seeming to suddenly grow louder in stark reminder that they… weren’t alone. 

Suddenly nervous, Jamie swallowed, steeled himself, and glanced around. A few people were looking at them; some surprised, some curious. A lot of the guests didn’t even seem to have noticed at all. John and Sarah were among those who definitely  _ had  _ noticed— but the DCI just had a considering expression on his face, his eyebrows raised slightly, and Sarah… Sarah was absolutely  _ beaming  _ at them with a fond smile. 

“You okay?” Ben asked, so softly Jamie knew no one but him could hear it. 

Jamie met Ben’s gaze again, a shy smile spreading over his face. 

“Yeah,” he said, almost surprised to find it was true. “Yeah, I am.” 


End file.
